Boris Johnson’s comments about imprisoned British woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe are being used as propaganda against her.Iranian state television described Johnson’s mistaken claim that Zaghari-Ratcliffe was “teaching people journalism” in Iran, as an “unintended confession” and “proof” of the charges against her.Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was imprisoned whilst on holiday with her family.Johnson has repeatedly refused to issue a full retraction and apology.

LONDON – Iranian state television has welcomed what it describes as Boris Johnson’s “unintended confession” about the role of the imprisoned British woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

The foreign secretary faced calls for his resignation this week after wrongly telling the British parliament that Zaghari-Ratcliffe was “teaching people journalism” while in Iran when she was arrested there last year, when she was in fact on holiday.

His words were used by the Iranian judiciary to justify her continued imprisonment on the charge of “espionage” with fears that it could lead to her sentence being doubled.

Johnson has admitted that he “could have been clearer” but has repeatedly refused to offer a full apology or retraction, saying only that he was sorry if his words had been “misconstrued” or “taken out of context”.

He also claimed that the Iranian government had accepted that his comments had no bearing on the case against Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

However, according to BBC Persia correspondent Hadi Nili, new footage from Iranian state television shows that Johnson’s words continue to be used against her, with his comments being described as an “unintended confession of the UK government about the real plot” behind her trip and “proof” of the allegations against her.